Small Fry Skinny Jeans sewalong - my version

I've always heard it's better late than never, and that's what I am doing again. I've been slowly (more than expected) sewing along with Laura from Craftstorming, for the Small Fry Skinny Jeans. She was so kind to share this pattern (size 2T only) for FREE, and has put a tutorial in a few separate parts, which is so easy to follow. It's a boy/girl pattern, but I went with the boy's. Yeah, I know I have a two year old girl, but I planned this one for a boy I know. 

What to say? Same as many of the sewalongers... they're too large to be skinny. It looks huge on my daughter (I've tried it on her to see how big they actually were - she didn't allow me too many shoots, but I got a few, I think you can see how big they are), but I hope they will fit the boy there were made for. I think they are perfect for skinny and tall children. 

As for mine... I refashioned! YEY! I didn't refashion for a while, I missed it! I used a large women's corduroy pants as main fabric and when looking for a contrasting fabric from my stash, I picket another pair of pants. A worn out and stained stripped brown jeans that I wasn't wearing anymore (I actually cut the leags off and saved the rest for shorts!). 

I follow the tutorial, didn't make too many changes until I got to the loops. I used 5 instead of 6, because I reused the ones from the original pants. And there was no way my machine would topstitch them down, so I did that last step handsewn. Yeah, I know I need a new machine, my old little Brother (LS-2720) isn't up for my sewing anymore! We've been together for about 10 years now, it was my first sewing machine, and she's been up for all the sewing in those years, but I start to feel it's too basic for my sewing skills level right now. 

Anyway, back to the jeans (I get lost so easily!)... here's a few details:

Don't you just love my button?! I know I do! I bought it as part of a cat's themed pack and haven't used a single button from the back until now. They are all so cute and you know, it's the waiting for the right project kind of thing. I really enjoyed this project and I hope to do a few more, including a pair for my daughter but maybe next year only, since she's too small for it to fit her yet. 

Operation Project 0$ 2013 & My Inspiration Boards

Did you know? Suzanne, over Winter Wonderings... Wanderings and Whatnot is hosting what might be one of my favourite series from the sewing blogosphere. And I am so honoured that she thought of me to make part of this, I'm a big fan of hers. It was actually really funny (for me at least), because I had posted something about creating a Fall/Winter collection for me and baby G. like two days before Suzanne contacted me. But that was posted in my portuguese mommy blog, which I don't think she follows. 

Check out this line up!

CathGrace

Feather's Flights

House of Estrela

Sutures and Sandpaper

Shaffer Sisters

Simple Simon &Co

Chasing Mermaids

Hideous Dreadful Stinky

Stitched by Crystal

Sewing Mama Raeanna

Welcome to the Mouse House

Alida Makes

Max California

Frances Suzanne

You can read about the origination of Operation Project $0 HERE or about this year's HERE. 

So, isn't that a great line up? 

Aren't you excited to see what all of us will create for the closest to 0$ we can get?! 

For now, I am sharing my inspiration boards. 

This is the one I made for myself. Going through all I already have I realised there's one item I really need, which is a coat. And I'd like to make myself one similiar to any of the three I've attached to my board, though I admit I have a special thing going on with the brown one. I realised I don't need to get myself anything else, but I must learn how to use what i already have, since I tend to just grab the first thing and go. 

I also went through my daughter's clothes to better see what she needed. Let me tell you, this girl's got the wonder wardrobe many of us would like to have. First of all, I am sharing the inspiration board for her. Yeah, there are mainly robes! A costume and a fur vest. 

I will tell you why! I took all of her Winter clothes, at least the ones she had until a couple of weeks ago (yep, she's got some new ones already that won't be shared in this post!), and try to count everything up. You'll be surprised. As surprised as I was! She's got hell too many clothes already. She gets a lot of hand-me-downs from her cousins (because turns out she's the youngest), and from friends too (everyone around me has a little girl slightly older than mine, so I can consider myself pretty lucky). And then, she's a girl right? Who doen't like to get new girly clothes? Everyone, of course. And she always gets a lot for Christmas and Birthdays. So, for Fall/Winter 2013-2014, here's what she already has:

Skirts, romper dresses, dresses... 

Sportwear and pajamas

sweaters, dresses, hats, etc

Coats, jackets, boleros, etc... 

Pants, leggings, more sportswear, shorts...

So, that's not much I really need to make for her. I am sure I will be sewing pretty clothes for her, for the next couple of months though, because, let's face it: I love sewing for her. There is Project Run & Play coming soon, oh so soon, and I have a few more things going on that request sewing for her... =) 

I just hope you'll stay around to see what I'll make her for Operation Project 0$ and I hope you'll like it and get some inspiration from us all. 

Oh! If you're wondering what's with the fur vests in our inspiration boards, I tell you. I got a huge vintage fur coat that belonged to my mom and I'm dying to turn it into matching vests for us. I didn't in 2011 because she was too little and would easily grow out of it; I didn't do it in 2012 because she got a purple fur vest that year already, and I might or might not do it in 2013 because the damn purple vest still fits her. 

Now, get inspired and link your inspiration and ideas HERE

Featured!

Featured once again!

I can't express in words how happy I get when I see that any of my creations has been featured in other people's blogs!!!

The Coffee Date Dress Sew Along

Humpffff! It is all I can say right now!

I just finished my Coffee Date Dress, the pattern that us ladies are sewing along at Project Sewn this time. I was all in and out, about sewing along, i started printing the pattern soon enough, but apparently there were other things that kept me busy until that moment when I was having a hard time falling asleep last night, I needed to make it, I wanted to link my version to the party too. 

Yeah, right! That sounds wonderful, but I was left with just a few hours to finish it... Although technically it is already saturday around here, the link party is still open. Yes, it is nearly 2 am, I just finished a dress, took a few quick snaps, still am wearing it and now I am blogging about it. JUST because I love this sewing community and want to join. Crazy, hum?

Well, I did a few changes to my dress, I didn't use the ruffles, just like my niece I'm not a ruffles girl. I used self made bias tape to finish arm holes and neck, and get surprised now!!! I even used a visible zipper. Did I ever tell you I'm not a huge fan of them?! Well, happens that when you're sewing from your stash, you'll avoid buying whatever you need, so at the lack of an invisible zipper, I thought, why not? Maybe I'll like it... and it's on my back, I won't have to look at it. 

Using an existing zipper was hell... it some how came out (that little annoying thing to pull it up and down) and I lost nearly 1h just trying to fix it. But I did it and even learnt a new easy technique to do it. The dress isn't even on the top of the back, but I will fix that tomorrow... I just thought I better sleep today. And then I will take better and closer pictures to it, because my zipper isn't red, I just used a cute decorated bias tape I had (in my stash!). 

I used white satin underneath and a polyester fabric on top. Of course, they both were on my stash forever. 

Now, don't forget to come back soon because I will have much better pictures an details from this dress to share. 

Small Fry skinny jeans Sewalong: I want in!

Visiting Max California blog, I got to know that Laura of Craftstorming is currently doing a sew-a-long for the Small Fry skinny jeans. I am a bit behind to join, but I want to, so I have downlouded the pattern already, must print it yet and then get started (tomorrow, of course!)

Little things that make me smile...

winning a giveaway...

being featured ...

The Bumblebee Tunic

In my previous post, I shared a few pictures of the tunic I made using the Bumblebee dress pattern. I was thinking about doing the "view A" version of the pattern at first, I even cut the fabric for the sleeves, but then I got thinking. This was my niece I was going to make a dress for. mmmm... a dress with ruffles on it. Ok, wait! I couldn't make a dress with ruffles for that 6 year old tom boy... I swear to you, she's worth than boys playing football, she's got a bulky voice, much too bulky for her small body, she doesn't play with dolls... so... you get the point. Don't get me wrong though, when she wants to, she likes to dress really girly... but no ruffles! So, I changed my mind about the desing half way the cutting. 

Since the days are still burning hot over here, and she likes tunics, I decided to make her one. This pink fabric was perfect for her. She likes pink unlike myself. This fabric was in my stash for a while now, mother-in-law gave it to me... but do I have to say it again? I don't like pink (you wouldn't tell according to my latest posts right?!). 

Anyway, I don't exactly know what material this fabric is made of, but it is a light, a little creasy, and fresh. When I chose to go for the tunic, I hesitated for a few seconds, if I'd use the lining or not. It was late and all I wanted was to get it done so I could take it with me the next day and have her modeling it. 

We had a quick photoshoot just before I had to leave... she didn't even change the shorts she was wearing while playing out, and she wasn't wearing shoes... But you get an idea of how it looks on my just turned 6 year old. She wore it out with leggings the evening before. 

Changes I made... I've left the sleeves off, used buttons on the front and used a single piece as back, I skipped the folded seam and I sewed a narrow short zig-zag to finish. And, I also used 3 buttons to close the bodice. And, of course, I added seam pockets (see tutorial here) on the sides. They turned out a little bit too small for her hands, but are cute anyway. hehehe I don't know if you can tell by the picture, but those buttons are pinapples I happened to have in my buttons stash for a few months too.